Latch keeper



1614046 y Jan' u 1927 F. J. -scHMlDGALL LATCH -KEEPFR Filed April 29. 1926 Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

Par

LATCH KEEPER.

l Application filed April 29, 1926. Serial No. 105,588.

My invention relates to improvements in latch keeper for doors. One of its objects is to provide an improved latch keeper adapted for use on refrigerator or coldstorage room doors. Another object is to provide an improved adjustable latch keeper. Another object is to provide an improved latch keeper adapted to` be adjusted to different positions and to hold its adjusted positions against strains applied thereto in opposite directions. My invention also coinlprises certain details of form and arrangement, and combination of components, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional detail through a portion of a cold-storagewall and door, and illustrating a latch and my improved latch keeper applied thereto, taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

2 is a plan of the latch and keeper shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the latclh i keeper adjusting and clamping bolt detached.

Fig. l is a perspectiveview of one of the latch keeper members detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the other latch keeper member detached.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention in which 15 represents a portion of the wall and door frame of acold storage room, and 16 a cold storage door. A door latch 17 is pivotally mounted at 19 upon a latch frame 18 which frame is rigidly-attached to the door 16. The latch 17 is provided with a recess 20 at oneend to engage the laterally projecting end 21 ofthe latch keeper 22. `At the opposite end of the latch 17 is a recess 24 in which is seated the shank 25 of a hand lever employed to actuate or reciprocate the latch 17 upon its pivot 19. The hand lever is pivotally attached at 23 near one end to the latch frame 18, engages the recess 211 of the latch 17 at its middle portion, and is provided at its free end with a handle. rlhe latch 17 is slotted for the passage of the pivot bolt 19, and when the door is closed, the latch 17 is shifted along this slot until the latch shoulder 51 of the latch 7 engages a dog or projection 52 on the frame 18 to latch the members 17, 25, 51, and the door 16 in substantially the position shown in Fig. 1 until the handle of lever 25 is employedV to disengage the members 17 and 51 from their latched position to open the door 16. Other similar types of latch are also adapted to be employed if desired.

ln practice the bead or outer section 26 of the door varies in thickness with different designs of door, and in doors put on the market by different manufacturers. 1t is therefore desirable to have the keeper 22 adjustably mounted with reference `'to the Wall or door frame 15, which is accomplished by rigidly mounting the keeper frame 27 upon the exterior of the wall 15 by means .of screws 28 for instance. The frame 27 is preferably constructed from sheet metal by one or more stamping operations, in order to secure uniformity of material, greater strength, and less liability to fracture in use. This is accomplished by bending the edges 29 over and turning them inwardly to form a channel 30 to receive the shank of the keeper 22 endwise thereof. At one end the metal of the keeper frame is flared out to form a base 31 which is perforated to receive the screws 28. I also preferably stamp series of parallel grooves 32 in the face of the metal forming the channel 30, and a perforation 33 for the passage of a clamping bolt 34. y

rlhe keeper 22 is also preferably formed by a stamping operation from sheet metal for similar reasons. A series of parallel ribs 35 are formed across one face of the shank 22 of the keeper, which ribs are adapted to register with and engage the parallel recesses 32 of the keeper frame, when the keeper and keeper frame are clamped together, to assist in preventing relative displacement of said members under severe strain. The keeper is also provided with an elongated slot 38 having tapered walls to register with the taper of the head 37 of the clamping bolt. The lower or open end of the slot 36 is partly closed to prevent the keeper being entirely withdrawn from the channel 30 when the clamping bolt is loosened. l/Vhen the clamping bolt is clamped upon the keeper and keeper frame by means of the nut 38, the ribs 35 and channels 32 are drawn into interengagement, and at the same time the head 37 of the clamping bolt acts as a tapered wedgein the tapered slot 36 to spread the sides of the shank 22 suinciently apart so as to force the outside edges of the shank 22 firmly into engagement with the ends of the channel 30, to thereby more elfectually lock the keeper 22 rigidly to the keeper frame against relative movement in either direction.

In practice cold storage doors are of relatively great Weight7 and they require to be frequently opened and closed, since they can not be allowed to remain open, and hence they acquirepmomentum, and this requires to be resisted by the latch mechanism. Also each time the door is closed there is a tendency' for" the door to rebound, and the rebound is required to be resisted by the latch mechanism. Also when the door is to be opened, the inertia andV frictional resistance of' initiating movement in the heavy Weight of the door, requires to be niet by the latch mechanism. The opposite faces of the recess 20' of the latch 17 are adapted to 'engage the projection 2l of the keeper upon opposite sides thereof, as for instance to hold the door' in closed position, and to resist the rebound of the door in one direction, and to enable the hand lever through the latch to overcome the friction and inertia when the door commences to open, bearing against the projection 21 from the opposite direction.

The latch keeper construction herein shown and described enables the keeper to be adjusted to any desired position, and then to be clamped and thereafter to eflicctually retain its position and to resist all the strains in either direction which are normally liable to be encountered. Y

lThe apparatus herein shown and described is capablev of considerable modification Within the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What l claim is:

1. A latch keeper comprising a keeper frame adapted to be' rigidly attached to a door frame and provided' with a channel to receive the shank of a latch keeper endwise of said shank, a late keeper comprising a shank having a tapered slot longitudinally thereof and a laterally extending projection adapted to be engaged by a doorlatch, and a clamping bolt having a tapered member' tov engage said tapered slot and to spread the forkedv ends of the slotted latch keeper shank intoV engagement With the Walls of the channel of said keeper frame when the clamping bolt is clamped in position to hold said keeper and keeper frame together.

2. A latch keeper comprising a keeper frame adapted toy be rigidly attached to a door frame and provided With a channel to receive the shank of a latch keeper endvvise of said shank, a latch keeper comprising a shank having a slot longitudinally thereof With tapered Walls and: narrowed section the open end of said slot, and alaterally extending projection adapted to be engaged by a door latch, and a clamping bolt having a tapered' head to engage said tapered. slot and to spread the forked ends of the slotted latch keeper shank into engagement With the Walls of the channel of said keeper frame When the clamping bolt is clamped in position to hold said keeper and keeper frame together.

8. A latch keeper comprising aV keeper frame adapted to be rigidly attached to a door frame and provided with a channel to receive the shank of a latch keeper endivise of said shank, a latch keeper comprising a shank having a slot to adjustably receive a clamping bolt and a laterally extending projection adapted to be engaged by a door latch, and a clamping bolt passing through said slot in the keeper shank and. through.

a perforation in the keeper frame, said shank and frame being one provided With transverse channels and the other with transverse ribs to interengage and be rigidly held against relative displacement by said clamping bolt.

l. A latch keeper comprising a keeper n'iemher having a slotted shank and a lateral projection in position to be engaged by a deer latch, a keeper frame formed by stampingl from sheet metal by spreading one endv thereof into an attachment. flange and bend ing its opposite edges over and inwardly to form a channel to receive the shanky of said keeper member endwise of said shank, and a clamping bolt passing through the slot of said shank and through a perforation in said keeper frame to adjustably clamp said keeper and keeper frame together.

ln testimony whereof I havel ailixed my signature.

FREDERICK J. SCHMIDGALL. 

